Senior Year 07: New Girl on the Block
by Wild Pikachu
Summary: A new transfer student causes a ruckus on campus; Sam resorts to extreme measures to deal with the armed-camp atmosphere at home.
1. Teaser

**Notes:** _(Re-edited and re-uploaded September 2010)_

* * *

**Guest Cast:**  
Mr. Osbourne: Erick Avari  
Principal Krupps: Robert Gant  
Jaycee: Eliza Dushku

* * *

**Formatting:** The main differences between the way the episodes are presented here and true script format are that on this website, everything is left-justified, while script format has specific block-margins for dialog, etc., and that scripts are still traditionally printed in Courier (monospace) font. These episodes are also available on my Popular website (link is in my info) if you would like to read them as though they were printed scripts.

**Legal whatchamacallit:** Pre-existing "Popular" characters and situations are ©1999-2001 Touchstone Television, et al. For what it's worth, original material is ©2001-2010 by yours truly, the Wild Pikachu. Please don't steal this without asking first.

* * *

**POPULAR: SENIOR YEAR**

**NEW GIRL ON THE BLOCK**

TEASER

FADE IN:

EST. MCQUEEN HOUSE - DAWN

Pre-dawn, actually: the eastern sky just beginning to light  
up.

CUT TO:

INT. MCQUEEN DINING ROOM

Jane comes down the kitchen stairs, yawning. Surprised to  
find the lights already on, she looks around.

Sam walks in, dressed and obviously ready to leave.

JANE  
Sam...where are you going?

SAM  
(shortly)  
Paper.

JANE  
(yawns again)  
This time of the morning? Are  
they even open?

SAM  
It's a newspaper, Mom. There's  
always people there.

JANE  
Well, let me at least fix you br—

SAM  
Had it.

Jane makes a move to give Sam a hug, but she veers off  
sharply, heading for the patio doors.

JANE  
(exasperated)  
Come on, Sam. How long are you  
going to hold a grudge.

At the doors, Sam stops and glares back at her mother.

SAM  
(coldly)  
I'll let you know.

She walks out, leaving Jane shaking her head.

CUT TO:

EST. KENNEDY HIGH - MORNING

The quad, a sunny day.

CUT TO:

EXT. KENNEDY HIGH PARKING LOT

A young woman is walking through the lot, attracting a few  
stares from passers-by. The reason that people are staring is  
that this girl happens to look exactly like Nicole  
Julian—with a single, glaring exception: a rich, luxurious  
mass of auburn hair, braided down her back. She is making  
decent time while carrying several folders under her arm—all  
of which almost comes to a crashing end when she nearly—  
nearly—runs right into Harrison. He reaches out to steady  
her before she can fall.

Then he goes white as he looks up into her face.

NATALIE  
Wow...thanks. I'm sorry, it was  
my fault. I wasn't looking.

HARRISON  
(extremely flustered)  
Ah...ah...no...I mean, um...

She partly extends a free hand.

NATALIE  
(grinning)  
Hi. Natalie. Natalie James.

Still dazed, Harrison shakes her hand.

HARRISON  
Ah...Harrison...John.

NATALIE  
Ohhh...pleased to meet you,  
Harrison. It's always nice to see  
another one of us.

HARRISON  
Ahh...I'm sorry..."us"?

NATALIE  
A person whose last name is really  
a first name. You know?

Harrison obviously has no clue what's going on.

NATALIE (CONT'D)  
The plot is to confuse everyone  
else so much that we can take over  
the world.  
(straight-faced)  
Did you miss the memo?

He just stands there, gulping air for a moment. Then she  
breaks up.

NATALIE (CONT'D)  
(laughing)  
I'm sorry—again. I've been  
accused of having a warped sense  
of humor. I guess I shouldn't  
unload it on my first day, though.

HARRISON  
Your...uh...first day...?

NATALIE  
(nods)  
In fact, if you could tell me  
where Principal...  
(checking a note)  
...Krupps' office is, I'd be very  
grateful.

Harrison takes a moment to try to get his wits together.

HARRISON  
It's, uh...right down that way.  
(pointing)  
Go left at the cafeteria doors,  
and then right when you get to the  
restrooms.

NATALIE  
Great! Thanks, Harrison John.

Without further ado, she walks off in the direction Harrison's  
still pointing towards. He looks after her, gaping at her  
back and shaking his head in great confusion.

HARRISON  
HUH?

WHITE OUT.

END OF TEASER


	2. Act One

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER

Natalie is walking down the corridor, seemingly oblivious to  
the stares of the people around her. Then an arm reaches out  
and shoves her into the lockers. She quails, wide-eyed, at  
Brooke, Mary Cherry and Carmen, who form a menacing semi  
circle surrounding her.

NATALIE  
Wha—?

BROOKE  
What the hell are you doing  
here?

CARMEN  
Yeah, you've got some nerve  
showing your face!

MARY CHERRY  
Yeah, did you really think nobody  
would notice you?

NATALIE  
(shaking)  
What...why—?

She tries to take a step forward, but Brooke shoves her back  
against the lockers again.

BROOKE  
Oh, no, you're not getting away.  
You're getting exactly what you  
deserve.

Natalie reaches for her bag and tries to open it.

NATALIE  
Here—just take whatever you  
want—

Carmen slaps the bag away, and as she does, it and all of  
Natalie's folders fall to the floor. The momentary  
distraction is enough for her to push past Carmen and run,  
shrieking, down the hall. The three girls look after her.

CARMEN  
Man... What, is she Freddy  
Krueger or something?

MARY CHERRY  
She's like a cockroach—ya gotta  
squish 'em, and then make sure  
they're dead!

BROOKE  
I still can't believe Nic would  
show up here.

Carmen, meanwhile, picks up Natalie's bag and folders.

CARMEN  
How do you suppose she got out of  
jail, anyway?

BROOKE  
(shrugs)  
Her mother must have pulled some  
strings.

Carmen pulls a wallet out of the bag and flips through it.

CARMEN  
Natalie James...Natalie James...

MARY CHERRY  
"Natalie James"? Ha! That's  
rich! And not in a oil-strikin'  
way, either. If she thought some  
fake I.D.s and a bad dye job was  
gonna fly, then the hoosegow made  
her dumber.

Carmen abandons the bag and starts flipping through one of the  
folders.

BROOKE  
(leaning in)  
What's that?

CARMEN  
Looks like...transcripts. From  
St. Cloud, Minnesota.

MARY CHERRY  
I didn't know Nicole's mama could  
do THAT.

A sharp breath comes from Carmen, who is still reading.

CARMEN  
Uh-oh...

BROOKE  
What?

Carmen hands her the folder, pointing.

BROOKE (CONT'D)  
(reading)  
James, Natalie...Mother, James,  
Rebecca...  
(gasps)  
...mother's maiden name—GROUT?

MARY CHERRY  
Grout? Isn't that—?

CARMEN  
She's related to Nicole's birth  
mother.

MARY CHERRY  
Well, that would explain the...

CARMEN  
(looking over cautiously)  
Brooke?

Brooke throws up her hands fatalistically.

BROOKE  
Oh, yeah—we're dead.  
(tittering)  
We just mugged a girl on her first  
day at Kennedy. We're gonna get  
suspended...it's going on our  
permanent records, we'll never get  
into a decent college...  
(bleakly)  
Maybe they'll put me in the same  
cell block as Nic.

CARMEN  
Okay, Brooke, chill. We'll just  
find her, and Mary Cherry'll  
convince her it was all a big  
mistake.

MARY CHERRY  
Hold on! Why me?

CARMEN  
Well...you're better at groveling  
than we are.

MARY CHERRY  
Well, yeah, there is that...

CARMEN  
Okay, then, that's the plan—we  
find this Natalie person, and we  
fix things.

BROOKE  
All right, so...where do you think  
she went?

Carmen shrugs helplessly; and they all go tearing off down the  
corridor.

CUT TO:

INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM

Lily comes into the Novak and heads for the mirror. She  
spends a couple of moments teasing her hair—and then the  
reflection of movement behind her catches her eye. She spins  
around, and doesn't see anything. But then she hears the  
faintest of whimpers coming from the area of the tuffet.  
Puzzled, she walks softly over to the tuffet and peers over  
it—to see Natalie curled up in the tightest possible ball  
behind it. Lily is instantly around the tuffet and on the  
floor next to the terrified girl.

LILY  
(soothingly)  
Hey...hey...what's wrong?

She reaches out cautiously, but Natalie shies away.

LILY (CONT'D)  
It's all right...nobody's going to  
hurt you...

Suddenly Natalie breaks out into great, wracking sobs, while  
Lily puts her arms around her comfortingly. Ever so gently,  
Lily lifts Natalie up and sits her down on the tuffet.

LILY (CONT'D)  
What happened? Did someone hurt  
you?

NATALIE  
(sobbing)  
There were...these girls...they...  
they...and I...they were...  
screaming...and...they took...  
everything...

LILY  
Are you...new here?

NATALIE  
(nodding)  
It's...it's...my first...day...

LILY  
(growing outraged)  
Schoolyard bullying—it's becoming  
a scourge across America! Well,  
this kind of injustice can't be  
allowed to go unanswered. You  
have the inalienable right to a  
free, wholesome and safe  
educational environment! Come  
on—we'll march right down to  
Principal Krupps' office, and make  
sure this never happens again!

NATALIE  
But...but...what if...what if  
they...?

LILY  
(stridently)  
No! You can't allow them to win!  
You're the victim here—you have a  
right to be heard!

NATALIE  
I...I don't know...

LILY  
Look, I promise, I'll be with you  
every step of the way. I swear.

Finally, Natalie nods tearfully and allows Lily to help her  
up. At just that moment, the door swings open, and Brooke,  
Mary Cherry and Carmen walk in.

CARMEN  
...I still think we should split  
up—

The trio and Natalie make eye contact at the same instant, and  
their reactions are instantaneous: Natalie squeaks, and hides  
behind Lily; while the other girls all throw their hands up  
defensively.

MARY CHERRY  
Whoa! Hey, easy now. Steady...

BROOKE  
(hissing)  
Mary Cherry, she's not a horse!

Lily eyes them suspiciously.

LILY  
Guys? What's going on?

The girls stand there, fidgeting nervously.

CARMEN  
We, uh...um, we...kind of...um...  
accidentally...

LILY  
WHAT—DID—YOU—DO?

CARMEN  
We...thought she was Nicole.

LILY  
WHAT?

Carmen and Mary Cherry look to Brooke for confirmation.

BROOKE  
Yeah, we, uh, thought Nic was  
back, uh...somehow.

LILY  
(incredulous)  
Are you all INSANE?

CARMEN  
(defensively)  
Well, she does look like Nicole...  
except for the hair.

Lily turns back to Natalie, holds her at arm-length, and  
studies her carefully.

LILY  
(doubtfully)  
You think?

BROOKE  
(gesturing, annoyed)  
Oh, come on! She's a dead ringer  
for Nic!

After a moment, Lily shakes her head.

LILY  
I dunno, maybe a little...  
(turning back)  
Still, Nicole IS in prison, right?  
Which kinda shoulda maybe been a  
clue that this wasn't her?

CARMEN  
(pleading)  
Believe me, we are SO sorry.

She holds out Natalie's bag and folders.

CARMEN (CONT'D)  
Here... We didn't take anything,  
we swear...

Disgusted, Lily snatches the items away, turns and hands them  
over to Natalie.

LILY  
(taking a deep breath)  
Look, Natalie, I know these girls.  
I'm still not quite sure what  
possessed them to go off and do  
this, but I really don't think  
they meant to—

Sensing that Lily has switched sides, Natalie takes a step  
back, fear coming back into her eyes.

NATALIE  
You—you mean...?

LILY  
(hastily)  
No! No, this is totally your  
decision. If you still want to go  
Principal Krupps, I will still go  
with you, and I will still be with  
you every step of the way.

CARMEN  
Lily—

Lily whirls around, jabbing a finger at Carmen.

LILY  
You—HUSH!

Carmen subsides meekly; Lily turns back to Natalie.

LILY (CONT'D)  
(earnestly)  
I'm not pressuring you. I'm  
just—asking you to think it over.  
Okay?

Natalie looks past Lily to the other girls, who are all trying  
to look as contrite and harmless as possible.

NATALIE  
Well...

BROOKE  
(hopeful)  
You won't tell on us?

Natalie thinks about it for several tense moments. Finally  
she nods, just slightly.

NATALIE  
I guess...

The trio of girls breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief.

MARY CHERRY  
I swear to the Lord Almighty, we  
thought you were the evil Nicole  
Julian!

NATALIE  
(puzzled)  
Who's Nicole Julian?

CARMEN  
She used to go to this school,  
before she tried to kill Brooke  
here and wound up in prison.

BROOKE  
Yeah, and even though her name was  
Julian, she was adopted. Her real  
mother—her birth mother—was a  
woman named Shaggy Louise Grout.

NATALIE  
Shaggy Lou—AUNT Louise?

CARMEN  
(gesturing to Lily)  
There, see, she's Nicole's, um,  
cousin!

Lily looks closely at Natalie again.

LILY  
I guess there IS a bit of a  
resemblance.

MARY CHERRY  
Well! I'm sure glad THAT'S  
straightened out!

Along with Carmen, Mary Cherry turns to leave.

BROOKE  
Guys—hang on.

They stop and turn back.

CARMEN  
What?

BROOKE  
I'm thinking, this is gonna keep  
happening. I mean, Nic made a lot  
of enemies around here.

CARMEN  
(shrugging)  
So, what are we supposed to do  
about it?

BROOKE  
Look, I think the four of us  
should take turns, and make sure  
somebody's with...um?

NATALIE  
Natalie.

BROOKE  
...with Natalie every minute, at  
least today. So nobody else makes  
the same mistake we did.

LILY  
That is a great idea, Brooke.

Brooke steps up to Natalie, still a bit cautious.

BROOKE  
So—if we could start over?  
(holding out her hand)  
Hi. I'm Brooke McQueen.

NATALIE  
(smiling)  
Natalie James.

The two girls shake hands.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE


	3. Act Two

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER

Natalie and Lily are walking along the hall.

LILY  
I think you'll really like social  
studies. Our teacher is very  
cool, and class is like—well, you  
have to be there.  
(pause)  
Hey, do you mind if we take a  
little detour?

NATALIE  
(shrugs)  
I just think of it as getting the  
tour.

LILY  
Great—come on.

Lily veers off up the stairs, with Natalie in tow.

CUT TO:

INT. ZAPRUDER REPORTER OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

Lily raps on the open door.

LILY  
(calling)  
Sam?  
(to Natalie)  
Sam was the editor of the school  
paper...now she's busy working at  
a real newspaper.  
(pause)  
SAM?

SAM (O.S.)  
Coming!

Sam appears from a connecting room, carrying a cardboard box.

SAM (CONT'D)  
I swear, I'm gone two months, and  
I can't find anything anymore—

She stops dead at the sight of Natalie.

LILY  
Oh, um, Sam, this is Natalie  
James. She, uh, Nicole's...  
(searching)  
...birth—cousin? Natalie, Sam  
McPherson.

Sam blindly sets the box down on a desk.

SAM  
Wow...I mean...wow.  
(shakes her head)  
Sorry, uh, but...wow.

NATALIE  
It's all right. I've had worse  
reactions today.

LILY  
(explaining)  
She got attacked earlier.

SAM  
My God, are you okay?

NATALIE  
Well, I had my wits scared out of  
me, but other than that, I'm all  
right.

LILY  
We're all escorting Natalie around  
today, letting everyone know that  
she's not Nicole reincarnated or  
anything.

SAM  
Yeah, I can see that would be a  
good idea.

NATALIE  
(to Sam)  
Are you sure we look THAT much  
alike? Lily can't see it.

LILY  
Well, I see it a little, but not  
like everyone else, I guess.

SAM  
(nodding)  
Ohhh, yes. You definitely could  
be Nicole's twin.  
(pause)  
Hang on a sec.

Sam goes to a filing cabinet and rummages through one of the  
drawers for a second. She pulls out a book, flips it open and  
hands it to Natalie.

SAM (CONT'D)  
(pointing)  
See?

INSERT: THE BOOK

open to a color photograph of the Glamazons from two years  
past: Brooke, Nicole, Mary Cherry and Carmen.

Natalie stares at the photo, her mouth hanging open. Finally  
she hands it back to Sam.

NATALIE  
Ewww.

LILY  
What?

NATALIE  
(gesturing)  
That's what I would look like  
blonde? Yuck.

The girls crack up over that.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER

Brooke, Natalie and Lily are coming down the hallway, with  
Brooke whispering in Natalie's ear. As they stop outside an  
open classroom door, Natalie pulls back and looks at Brooke,  
an astonished look on her face.

NATALIE  
Really?

Brooke nods, wagging her eyebrows. Natalie turns the other  
way.

NATALIE (CONT'D)  
Lily?

LILY  
(considering)  
Wellll...normally I would say  
no...

BROOKE  
Lily...

LILY  
(with a little grin)  
But, just this once...

Brooke claps with delight.

BROOKE  
This is gonna be killer. Come on.

Brooke peeks through the doorway, then motions he three girls  
go through—

CUT TO:

INT. CHEMISTRY CLASS - CONTINUOUS

Miss Glass is looking through a file cabinet, her back to the  
door. Brooke and Lily head for their seats—with Brooke  
staying as far away as possible from Sam. At seeing Natalie,  
Josh gapes, and starts to say something; Lily gets there just  
in time to clamp her hand over his mouth and make a shushing  
motion. Meanwhile, Natalie stands quietly at the teacher's  
desk, hands clasped in front of her, waiting. After a moment,  
Miss Glass pulls out a file and straightens up.

GLASS  
(turning)  
All right, now—

At that instant, she comes face-to-face with Natalie, and goes  
completely white. Her voice sticks in her throat; she makes a  
couple of gulping, urking noises, before staggering backwards,  
clutching her chest. She misses her stool and winds up  
landing on the floor on her rear, to an uproar of laughter  
from the class.

Natalie just stands there innocently, leaning a bit to peek  
around the edge of the desk.

NATALIE  
(innocently)  
Miss Glass? Is something wrong?

Miss Glass manages to wave a shaky finger at her.

GLASS  
Y-y-you—you—

NATALIE  
I'm sorry...is there a problem?

Miss Glass struggles to her feet.

GLASS  
What—what—what are YOU doing  
here?

NATALIE  
Transferring. From Minnesota.  
This is my first day.

She lays a couple of forms on the desk.

NATALIE (CONT'D)  
That's my record from my old  
school, and that's from Principal  
Krupps.

Miss Glass, after managing to get her breathing under control,  
takes a look at the papers. Then she glares out at the still  
snickering students, realizing that they were in on the joke.

GLASS  
All right, you bunch of juvenile  
delinquents... You may have had  
a little fun—but don't think I  
won't remember this when finals  
roll around!  
(to Natalie)  
You—find a seat!

Natalie obediently goes and takes the empty seat next to Sam.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS - LATER

As usual, Mr. Osbourne is conducting class in his own distinct  
style.

OSBOURNE  
I trust you've all read  
yesterday's handouts containing  
some of Goethe's thoughts on youth  
and society.  
(to Natalie)  
Not to worry, Miss James.  
Allowances shall be made in your  
case.

Natalie favors him with a wan smile.

OSBOURNE (CONT'D)  
Not to digress, but has anyone  
seen Miss Fererra? Unless my  
eyesight has begun to fail—which  
I doubt—I saw her this morning.  
Yet she is not present now.

The kids all look at each other, and the result is a  
collective shrug.

OSBOURNE (CONT'D)  
Well, I suppose a certain amount  
of...shall we say, goofing off?...  
must be expected. After all, in  
the words of another noted  
philosopher—

He switches to German for the quote:

OSBOURNE (SUBTITLE) (CONT'D)  
—"youth is a disagreeable time."

From the side of the room, Natalie snorts—an oddly Nicole  
like sound. Osbourne raises an eyebrow at her.

OSBOURNE (CONT'D)  
Yes, Miss James?

Natalie shrugs at him.

NATALIE (SUBTITLE)  
(in casual German)  
Goethe was an artist. Nietzsche  
was an idiot.

Osbourne focuses on her, and continues the conversation in  
German.

OSBOURNE (SUBTITLE)  
Indeed?

NATALIE (SUBTITLE)  
"All Too Human" was especially  
obtuse.

OSBOURNE (SUBTITLE)  
You've read the original, I  
assume.

Natalie just raises an eyebrow.

OSBOURNE (SUBTITLE) (CONT'D)  
Your German sounds flawless,  
incidentally—no accent at all.

NATALIE (SUBTITLE)  
Thank you. Five years, junior  
high and high school. I had very  
good teachers.

OSBOURNE (SUBTITLE)  
I commend you on your educators,  
then. We shall have to discuss  
Nietzsche sometime, though.

Natalie tilts her head in acknowledgement.

NATALIE (SUBTITLE)  
Whenever you'd like, Mr. Osbourne.

The other kids, watching but not understanding this exchange,  
trade significant looks. Osbourne refocuses on the class,  
switching back to English.

OSBOURNE  
Well—this school grows curiouser  
and curiouser.  
(to Brooke)  
Miss McQueen, you may have  
competition.

Natalie shrugs at Brooke apologetically.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER

Brooke and Natalie are walking down the corridor, when a  
couple of kids passing by give them a stare.

BROOKE  
(sharply)  
Hey, she's not Nicole, okay?

The kids back off, and Brooke and Natalie continue on.

NATALIE  
So, this Nicole...you knew her,  
right?

BROOKE  
She used to be my best friend. Of  
course, she did sleep with my  
boyfriend—ex-boyfriend—while we  
were split up for about a week.  
And then on prom night she hit me  
with her car.

NATALIE  
(doing a double-take)  
You mean, hit, like...tapped?

BROOKE  
No, more like, at about fifty  
miles an hour. I spent most of  
the summer in the hospital.

Natalie gives her a very strange look.

NATALIE  
And—this was your best friend?

BROOKE  
I know, I know... But then, I  
used to not be very nice myself.

Natalie looks her up and down, and nods knowingly.

NATALIE  
Ah...Julie Stanton.

BROOKE  
Who?

NATALIE  
She's a girl, at my old school.  
Head cheerleader, homecoming  
queen, center of the ultra-popular  
clique—prize bitch.

BROOKE  
(laughing)  
That was me, all right.

NATALIE  
And Nicole—she was, like, the  
number-two person in your circle?

BROOKE  
Uh, yeah?

NATALIE  
(nodding)  
Okay. I know EXACTLY who you're  
talking about, now.

BROOKE  
I guess things are the same all  
over.

NATALIE  
In high school, I think so, yeah.

They walk along for a couple of moments in silence.

NATALIE (CONT'D)  
You know, this is really weird for  
me.

BROOKE  
Ha. You're not the only one.

NATALIE  
I mean, Aunt Louise was always  
kinda the black sheep of the  
family—but I don't ever remember  
anyone mentioning her having a  
baby.

BROOKE  
Maybe nobody knew. From what I  
heard, Nicole's mother just  
abandoned her.

NATALIE  
That's so sad...

They stop at an open classroom door.

NATALIE (CONT'D)  
Well, here's my English class.

Brooke puts her hand in the chest of a boy about to go in,  
stopping him.

BROOKE  
(pointing at Natalie)  
Hey. Natalie—not Nicole.  
Completely different person. Got  
it? Good. Spread it around.

After she lets the boy go, Natalie shakes her head.

NATALIE  
I was going to say something about  
being baby-sat, but I'm actually  
kinda grateful.

BROOKE  
Hey, it's the least we could do,  
after...

NATALIE  
It's okay. If someone tried to  
kill me, and then I saw her face  
on someone else...I might go a  
little nuts, too.

Brooke grins for a moment.

BROOKE  
Okay, Lily's going to meet you  
here after class, and then we'll  
have lunch.

NATALIE  
(cautiously)  
And lunch would be...?

BROOKE  
(sighs)  
Some things really ARE the same  
all over.

NATALIE  
Oh, well.

Natalie goes into the classroom, and Brooke turns and jogs  
back down the hallway.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Further along the corridor, Lily is standing at the pay phone,  
making a call. After a moment, she hangs up, puts in a  
quarter, and dials again. A few seconds later, she hangs up  
again, a frustrated expression on her face.

Brooke jogs up behind her, and Lily catches her by the arm.

LILY  
Brooke, did Carmen tell you where  
she was going?

BROOKE  
Nope. I guess she musta skipped  
after chem.

LILY  
It's really odd...her line is  
busy, but I tried downstairs and  
the machine picked up.

BROOKE  
(thinking)  
Well...maybe she was online this  
morning, and forgot to log off.  
(tugging at her)  
Come on—we're gonna be late!

Brooke takes off down the hall, and as the bell rings, Lily  
hustles after her.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CARMEN'S BEDROOM

Carmen, as it turns out, is sitting at her computer, typing  
away furiously, completely absorbed.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO


	4. Act Three

ACT THREE

FADE IN:

INT. CAFETERIA - NOON

Brooke, Natalie, Lily and Josh are sitting together at one of  
the tables.

JOSH  
Man, I still can't get over it.  
It's like seeing a ghost.  
(to Lily)  
Why didn't you warn me?

LILY  
Well, honey, I was a little busy  
keeping Natalie from getting her  
ass handed to her.

NATALIE  
I really can't thank you enough,  
Lily.  
(to the others)  
You know, Lily was the first  
person to see me and not try to  
kill me.  
(considers)  
Well, the second, actually.

LILY  
Really? Who—?

At that moment Natalie spots Harrison carrying his lunch  
across the room, and half-rises out of her seat, waving.

NATALIE  
Harrison!

Harrison comes over.

HARRISON  
Natalie, right?

NATALIE  
(grinning)  
You remembered.

HARRISON  
Uh, trust me, you're kinda hard to  
forget.

BROOKE  
Wait, when did you meet Harrison?

NATALIE  
Oh, before school. He told me  
where Principal Krupps' office  
was.

BROOKE  
(to Harrison)  
You think you could've said  
something?

HARRISON  
Well—I didn't see you until chem  
class, and you walked in with her.

Harrison slides in next to Brooke, who wraps an arm around his  
neck and snuggles.

NATALIE  
(eyeing them)  
So, you two...?

HARRISON  
Ah, yeah.

BROOKE  
But it's a long story.

HARRISON  
(expectantly)  
Brooke?

Brooke sighs and takes her arm away, pouting.

BROOKE  
I thought we'd been through this.

HARRISON  
That doesn't mean you have to  
climb all over me every time Sam's  
in the room.

BROOKE  
I like climbing all over you,  
whether Sam's around or not.

Josh and Lily whistle appreciatively; Brooke blushes and  
discreetly pulls back a bit. Natalie looks around and spots  
Sam, eating by herself across the room and not paying too much  
attention to them.

NATALIE  
What about Sam?

BROOKE  
Like I said, it's a long story.

NATALIE  
(rolling her eyes)  
I'm sure I'll learn everything  
soon enough. Like, about Miss  
Glass.

BROOKE  
(laughing)  
Oh, that look on her face was  
worth whatever we get.  
(to Lily)  
Come on, admit it—you enjoyed it  
too.

HARRISON  
Yeah, a little payback for all the  
times she's humiliated us?

A grin tugs at the corners of Lily's mouth.

LILY  
Well...it WAS curiously  
satisfying.

Everyone erupts in laughter. On the other side of the  
lunchroom, Sam gets up, dumps the rest of her lunch and walks  
off. Lily spots her leaving, and gets up herself.

LILY (CONT'D)  
I'll be right back.  
(severely)  
Nobody touch my organic brussel  
sprout yogurt.

As she rushes off, the others look at each other.

JOSH  
I wasn't even thinking about it.

HARRISON  
So, Natalie, that was sure a  
surprise you pulled on Mr.  
Osbourne in social studies.

JOSH  
What surprise?

BROOKE  
(to Josh)  
She speaks German.

NATALIE  
I can get by in Swedish, too-the  
Grout side of my family is  
Swedish—but German's easier.

HARRISON  
(awed)  
I don't think I've ever met anyone  
who was trilingual before.

JOSH  
Yeah, around here most people take  
Spanish.

NATALIE  
Oh, as far as Spanish goes, I know  
"quiero Taco Bell", and that's it.  
And I don't even know what that  
means.  
(pause)  
I guess I'll fit right in, huh?

There is more general laughter.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Sam is at her locker when Lily catches up to her.

LILY  
Hey, Sam!

SAM  
(turning)  
Oh—hey, Lily.

LILY  
So...I saw you having lunch...

Sam rolls her eyes.

SAM  
(sighs)  
I can't, Lily. I just—can't,  
okay?

Lily closes her mouth and gazes at Sam speculatively. Sam  
laughs humorlessly.

SAM (CONT'D)  
I know what you're thinking.

LILY  
What?

SAM  
You're thinking, when I was dating  
George, Harrison didn't run away  
and hide.

LILY  
(nonplussed)  
I—

SAM  
I don't know how he did it. Maybe  
I oughta ask him. Oh, wait, I'm  
not talking to him.

Sam lets her forehead bang against the locker, and Lily  
reaches out sympathetically.

LILY  
I wish there was something I could  
do.

SAM  
There is—loan me your car.

LILY  
Huh?

SAM  
Oh, I just need to run down to the  
paper.

LILY  
(checking her watch)  
But lunch is already half over.

SAM  
I have study hall—I can be a  
little late. Please? I promise I  
won't speed.

Lily fishes out her keys and dangles them.

LILY  
(teasing)  
Are you sure you remember how?

SAM  
(snatching the keys)  
Just because I don't have my own  
car doesn't mean I'm going to  
forget how to drive.

She hugs Lily lightly, and then runs off.

CUT TO:

EST. THE L.A. CHRONICLE - LATER

An imposing pan of the building's exterior.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. THE FILE ROOM

In a room filled, top to bottom, with old-fashioned file  
cabinets, Sam is bent over, searching through the drawers.  
After a moment she surfaces with a couple of file folders.  
She flips through them briefly; then, satisfied, she makes her  
way towards the door. She is almost to the doorway when she  
hears familiar voices in the corridor outside, and freezes.

JANE (O.S.)  
...I just don't feel good about  
this.

MIKE (O.S.)  
I'm not happy about it. But we  
have to do something...

Sam ducks behind a file cabinet as Mike and Jane pass by the  
doorway. Then, with a mix of confusion and suspicion on her  
face, she peeks around the corner of the doorway, and follows  
them.

CUT TO:

INT. ART FLEISCHER'S OFFICE - LATER

Mike and Jane are seated before Fleischer's desk; Fleischer is  
pacing the small space behind it. He goes to the window and  
idly peeks out through the blinds, before shaking his head.

FLEISCHER  
I can't do it.

MIKE  
Look—

FLEISCHER  
(cutting him off)  
First of all, you don't want me to  
do it. Sam has a promising career  
in front of her—you don't want to  
go nipping that in the bud.

CUT TO:

INT. THE NEWSROOM - CONTINUOUS

Sam is pressed against the wall next to the door, listening,  
storm clouds darkening her face. She moves around the edge of  
the room, staying out of the line of sight of the inner  
office, and corrals another intern.

SAM  
Gina, would you make sure Art gets  
these?

GINA  
Sure thing.

SAM  
Thanks.

Sam starts to turn away; then, struck by a thought, she faces  
the intern again.

SAM (CONT'D)  
Hey, did you get your check?

GINA  
A couple days ago.

SAM  
Okay.

GINA  
(thinking)  
You know, you're new...they  
might've screwed up the address.

SAM  
(dully)  
Yeah. Thanks.

She takes off at a run.

CUT TO:

INT. ART FLEISCHER'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

MIKE  
I realize this is a radical  
request. We're just a little  
desperate here.

JANE  
We're a lot desperate. Do you  
know what it's like, every time I  
come home, every time I wake up in  
the morning, wondering if she's  
run off again?

FLEISCHER  
Has she talked about running away?  
Have there been any warning signs?

JANE  
You have to understand, Sam  
doesn't talk about things—she  
just goes and does them. There  
are never any warning signs.

FLEISCHER  
Hey, I really do understand your  
concerns. But I still can't just  
fire her, even if I wanted to.

JANE  
Can't you at least limit the time  
she spends here? She's almost  
never home anymore, except to  
sleep.

FLEISCHER  
I can't order her to work less; my  
editor would have my ass.

MIKE  
Doesn't she need parental  
permission to work?

FLEISCHER  
(shaking his head)  
Not at her age.  
In face, I'll tell you what our  
legal department would probably  
tell me: that she could,  
conceivably, find a lawyer and sue  
us for wrongful termination.

JANE  
I can't believe we're talking  
about this.

MIKE  
It's not that we WANT to force her  
out of this job. We just...want  
to control the situation.

FLEISCHER  
(sitting)  
Well, I'm sorry to tell you that  
might not be possible. And that  
it's a good thing you don't want  
to force her out of her job,  
because I don't think you can do  
THAT, either.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER

Harrison is getting a book out of his locker when Brooke comes  
up from behind and wraps him up in her arms.

HARRISON  
(reproachfully)  
Brooke—

BROOKE  
What?  
(looking around)  
I don't see Sam. Do you see Sam?  
No Sam. What's the problem?

He takes her by the arm and leads her into a nearby empty  
classroom.

CUT TO:

INT. A CLASSROOM - CONTINUOUS

Harrison closes the door and turns to find Brooke glaring at  
him, hands on hips.

HARRISON  
Brooke, I'm sorry.

BROOKE  
God, Harrison! What is it?

HARRISON  
Don't you...don't you feel the  
least bit guilty? About us?  
About Sam?

Brooke turns away, burying her face in her hands for a moment  
before facing him again.

BROOKE  
Okay—I wish...you and Sam hadn't  
been involved. I wish she  
hadn't...discovered us together.  
I wish she weren't mad at us.  
But, Harrison...

She goes over to him and cups his face in her hands.

BROOKE (CONT'D)  
I think we might have something  
really special going. And, if the  
price for that is a little  
disharmony at home, I will gladly  
pay it.  
(pause)  
Besides...Sam can't stay mad  
forever. Right?

CUT TO:

EXT. MCQUEEN HOUSE - LATER

Lily's car screeches to a stop at the curb, and Sam leaps out,  
running up to the house.

CUT TO:

INT. MCQUEEN STUDY - MOMENTS LATER

Sam bursts into the study and heads for Mike's desk. Without  
any concern for stealth, she yanks open the drawers and goes  
through them quickly. Finding one drawer locked, she grabs a  
letter opener and, although she doesn't seem to know exactly  
what she's doing, she manages to jimmy the drawer open. In  
just a moment she pulls out an envelope.

INSERT: THE ENVELOPE

Business-sized, with Sam's name in the plastic window and the  
newspaper's logo imprinted in the corner.

Sam slits the envelope open and pulls out her paycheck. Then  
she reaches further back in the drawer, and comes up with the  
wad of cash Jane took from her. Holding both up, she shakes  
her head bitterly, almost crying.

SAM  
To hell with you. Both of you.

She bolts from the room.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT THREE


	5. Act Four

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

EST. KENNEDY HIGH - AFTERNOON

CUT TO:

INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM

Brooke, Lily and Natalie are gathered in the Novak.

LILY  
(to Natalie)  
So, what did you think of your  
first day here?

NATALIE  
It's definitely not what I  
expected when I got up this  
morning.

Suddenly, Mary Cherry comes bursting through the door.

LILY  
Mary Cherry! Where did you  
disappear to?

MARY CHERRY  
Why, just gettin' Natalie here a  
"welcome to Kennedy" present.

NATALIE  
Aw, you didn't have to do that.  
You've all been so nice—well,  
after that little thing this  
morning.

LILY  
(aside to Brooke)  
Isn't there a saying that goes,  
"beware of Cherrys bearing gifts"?

MARY CHERRY  
(holding out a box)  
I had it made up special, just for  
you.

Natalie takes the box and opens it, breaking into a grin when  
she looks inside. She lifts her present out of the box and  
shows it to the others: a t-shirt with "I AM NOT NICOLE"  
emblazoned on it.

NATALIE  
(beaming)  
I love it. It's perfect.  
(pause)  
Well...I guess I'd better go.

MARY CHERRY  
D'ya need a ride?

NATALIE  
Naw, my dad's picking me up. Man,  
wait till I tell him about all  
this.

LILY  
We'll see you tomorrow, then.

NATALIE  
(to Mary Cherry)  
Thank you.  
(looking around)  
All of you.

She hugs each of the girls, and then leaves.

MARY CHERRY  
I'm out. See y'all.

Brooke and Lily wave as Mary Cherry departs, leaving them  
alone.

BROOKE  
Did you ever find out about  
Carmen?

LILY  
No... I wanted to stop by her  
place to check on her, but Sam  
borrowed my car at lunch, and now  
she's disappeared, too.  
(pause)  
I know, you don't care—you're  
fighting with her.

BROOKE  
No—I mean, yes, we're  
fighting...but, it'll blow over.  
It always does.

LILY  
I don't know, Brooke... This is  
bigger than...than sharing a  
bathroom. This is about Harrison.  
Are you really sure everything's  
just going to work out?

Brooke hangs her head.

BROOKE  
No. But what am I supposed to do?  
I'm NOT giving up Harrison.

Lily shrugs morosely.

BROOKE (CONT'D)  
You know, you've been friends with  
Sam for a long time. Maybe...  
maybe you oughta just—

LILY  
Uh-uh. I promised you—in fact, I  
promised both of you—I wasn't  
going to take sides. A little  
awkwardness isn't going to make me  
break that promise.

There is a knock on the door, and then Josh walks in.

JOSH  
Hey, baby. Hi, Brooke.

LILY  
Josh! What are you doing?

JOSH  
What? You girls aren't doing  
anything. And it's not like this  
is the first time I've been in  
here.

The girls look at each other, and shrug.

JOSH (CONT'D)  
Sam called. She wanted to call  
you, but you don't have a cell  
phone.

LILY  
I swear, in twenty years everyone  
in the country's going to be  
walking around with brain damage.  
(pause)  
Is she okay?

JOSH  
She said something important came  
up, and she needed the car, and  
she was really sorry, and she'd  
bring it back as soon as she  
could. Oh, and she asked if she  
could bring some boxes over to our  
place for a couple days. Anyway,  
I said yes.

Lily sits and absorbs all of that.

JOSH (CONT'D)  
Oh, and if we leave right now,  
Shug'll give us a ride.

LILY  
(getting up)  
Oh. Okay.

JOSH  
Brooke? Wanna come? Shug'll take  
you home, too.

BROOKE  
(shaking her head)  
It's okay. I can get home by  
myself.

LILY  
Okay. See you tomorrow?

BROOKE  
Yeah.

After Josh and Lily leave, Brooke just sits on the tuffet for  
a moment, moping, before getting up.

CUT TO:

INT. MIKE'S CAR - MOVING

Neither Mike nor Jane are in a very good mood; Mike keeps  
stealing glances at Jane, whose gaze is fixed on the passing  
scenery.

JANE  
Mike?

MIKE  
Hmm?

JANE  
Are you sure we're doing the right  
thing?

MIKE  
(sighs)  
I'm not sure of anything.  
(pause)  
I'll tell you, that daughter of  
yours—

She looks over at him sharply.

MIKE (CONT'D)  
—daughter of OURS...is quite a  
handful.

As they approach the house, Jane suddenly leans forward.

JANE  
(pointing)  
Look!

Mike follows Jane's finger, to see the front door wide open.

MIKE  
Did we get robbed?

JANE  
I don't think so...that's Lily's  
car out front.

Mike pulls into the driveway, and they climb out of the car  
just in time to see Sam emerge from the house, with her duffel  
bag slung over her shoulder and box of odds and ends under her  
arm. She closes the door behind her and locks it; only when  
she turns back around does she see Mike and Jane.

JANE (CONT'D)  
Sam...

MIKE  
(sternly)  
This is getting a little old.

SAM  
Yeah, well, then the good news is  
you won't have to worry about it  
anymore.

JANE  
Sam, you can't just keep running  
away.

SAM  
I'm not running away.

She tosses the house key at Mike, who automatically catches  
it.

SAM (CONT'D)  
I'm moving out.

JANE  
(reasonably)  
Honey, you can't move out. You  
can't live off of Josh and Lily,  
and you don't have any money to  
live on your own.

SAM  
You don't think so?

She digs her paycheck out of her back pocket and waves it at  
them.

SAM (CONT'D)  
Look familiar?

MIKE  
(irked)  
You broke into my desk?

SAM  
(defiant)  
What are you gonna do, call the  
cops? Go ahead—you can tell them  
you've been stealing my mail.  
That's a federal offense.

JANE  
(holding up her hands)  
Wait, wait, nobody's calling any  
cops. Sam, we weren't stealing.  
We were just...holding it. For a  
little while.

SAM  
(jeering)  
Really.

At this point Brooke enters the picture, taking in the scene.

BROOKE  
What's going on here?

Sam turns on her.

SAM  
You—I suppose you're in on this,  
too.

BROOKE  
(shaking her head)  
In on what? Sam, you're making  
even less sense than usual.

SAM  
You don't know what they did?

She nods in Mike and Jane's direction contemptuously.

SAM (CONT'D)  
They went to the paper. Tried to  
get me fired.

Despite her animosity towards Sam, Brooke—at least  
momentarily—turns an accusatory look on her father.

BROOKE  
Dad, you didn't.

JANE  
Sam, I don't know what Art may  
have told you, but—

SAM  
(snarling)  
"What Art may have told me"? I  
was THERE! I HEARD you! What,  
are you lying to my face now?

Stunned by Sam's sheer ferocity, Jane takes a step back and  
regroups.

JANE  
Now look, young lady, I am still  
your mother, and—

The cold, dead look in Sam's eyes alone makes Jane falter.

SAM  
(dangerously quiet)  
You try to ruin my life...my  
career...try to keep me prisoner  
in this house... What's next—  
lock me in my room? Chain me to  
the bed?

MIKE  
Sam!

SAM  
I don't know who you are anymore.

MIKE  
(bleakly)  
Is that really what you think of  
us?

Sam turns the same flat stare on Mike.

SAM  
(unrelenting)  
That's what I see.

MIKE  
You're wrong, Sam.

SAM  
I don't think so.

Sam walks around them to Lily's car, the back of which is  
already filled with boxes. She opens the driver's-side door,  
tosses her duffel bag and the box onto the passenger seat, and  
climbs in.

At this point Jane is spurred into action: as Sam shuts the  
door, she runs over and pounds on the window.

JANE  
Sam!

Unheeding, Sam starts the car. Jane rushes around to the  
front of the car and puts her hands on the hood.

JANE (CONT'D)  
I'm not letting you leave, Sam!

Sam looks up at her for a long moment. Then she throws the  
car into reverse and pulls away backwards, using a neighboring  
driveway to execute a sloppy three-point turn and roaring off  
down the street.

Jane just stands there in the street, shaking; Mike has to  
come over, put his arms around her and lead her away.

DISSOLVE TO:

EST. JOSH AND LILY'S APARTMENT

CUT TO:

INT. JOSH AND LILY'S LIVING ROOM - LATER

Sam is curled up on the sofa; Lily comes out of the kitchen,  
hands her a glass of water and sits down next to her.

SAM  
Thanks. Sorry about the car.

Lily reaches out and brushes the hair away from Sam's face.

LILY  
I'm not worried about the car,  
Sam, I'm worried about YOU.

SAM  
(shrugs)  
Well, don't.

They sit in silence for a moment.

SAM (CONT'D)  
Do you think this is my fault?

LILY  
I don't think it's anyone's  
"fault". I just...think  
everyone's reacting to everyone  
else, and...

Sam stares into her glass.

SAM  
It's so weird... I feel like,  
I'm falling, and there's no  
bottom, and I just keep on  
falling...  
(looking up)  
Every time I think nothing else  
can happen, nothing else can go  
wrong, it does, and I—I just want  
to know when it's going to stop.

As Sam sniffles, Lily leans over and hugs her tightly.

The phone rings. Lily holds Sam for a moment longer, then  
gently lets her go, gets up and reaches for the phone.

LILY  
(into the phone)  
Hello? Oh—Ms. McPherson.

She looks at Sam, who shakes her head emphatically.

LILY (CONT'D)  
(into the phone)  
Sam? Yes, but... No, she  
doesn't... I'll tell her...  
Bye.

Lily hangs up the phone.

SAM  
Tell me what?

LILY  
She loves you. She misses you.

SAM  
(eyes downcast)  
I wish I could believe that.

Lily sits close and puts Sam's head on her shoulder.

LILY  
(sadly)  
Oh, Sam, of course you can believe  
that. Look, if you want to stay  
here—

SAM  
No, it's okay. I found a place.  
My own place.  
(getting up)  
I should go, get all my stuff out  
of your car.

LILY  
Are you sure? You're really not  
going back?

SAM  
Yeah. I'm sure.

Lily gets up.

LILY  
(gamely)  
I'll help you unpack.

Sam manages a grin, and they hug again before walking off.

CUT TO:

INT. AN APARTMENT

A dingy, old studio, obviously in a run-down neighborhood,  
immersed in street noises. Lily and Sam come in through the  
open door, each carrying a box. After they set the boxes  
down, Sam looks around.

SAM  
Did we miss anything?

LILY  
I don't think so.

The landlady, a heavyset fifty-ish woman, walks in.

LANDLADY  
Here you go.

She holds out a keyring to Sam, who takes it.

LANDLADY (CONT'D)  
You got electricity and water—and  
the bed. Phone, anything else you  
want, you have to take care of  
yourself.

SAM  
It's fine, thanks.

The landlady nods her satisfaction, and leaves.

LILY  
Sam, you sure you don't want me to  
stay awhile?

SAM  
(shaking her head)  
You've got Josh to get home to,  
remember? I'll be fine.

LILY  
Okay. Hey, I'm picking you up for  
school tomorrow. No way you're  
taking the bus from here.

SAM  
(smiling)  
Thanks.

Sam hugs Lily, and walks her to the door.

LILY  
Well...okay. Take care of  
yourself, Sam.

SAM  
Really, I'm okay.

LILY  
(reluctantly)  
Okay. Bye.

SAM  
Bye.

Sam closes the door behind Lily, then turns and surveys the  
one-room apartment, sighing. Rubbing her hands together, she  
opens the nearest box, but before she can do much of anything,  
there is a knock on the door behind her. She steps back to  
the door and opens it. Standing outside is a raven-haired  
woman in her early twenties, who promptly sticks her hand out.

JAYCEE  
Hey. You're the new girl, right?  
Saw you moving in, thought I'd  
come over and say hi. I'm right  
across the hall. Jaycee.

Sam shakes her hand.

SAM  
Sam.

JAYCEE  
Hey, Sam. So, I thought, new  
beginnings and all, right? A  
little "welcome to the building"  
offering.

Jaycee pulls two bottles of beer from behind her back.

SAM  
Well, I...

JAYCEE  
Why don'tcha come over to my  
place?  
(grins)  
I've got actual furniture.

SAM  
(considering)  
Uh...

Finally she shrugs.

SAM (CONT'D)  
Sure—why not? New beginnings and  
all.

Sam steps out into the hallway, closes the door behind her,  
and then she and Jaycee go through the door on the other side  
of the hall.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT FOUR

**THE END**


End file.
